Powder-distributer.



Nu. 65I,926. Patented lune l9, I900. H. MAcMICHAEL. POWDER DISTRIBUTEB. (Application filed Nov. 30, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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vno. 65l, 926, PatentedJun'e I9, I900.

H. MAGMICHAEL. POWDER DISTBI'BUTER. (Application flea Nov. so, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

HUGH MAOMICHAEL, OF. CHICAGO,

PAT NT OFFICE.

ILLINOIS, Assienon TO EDWARD MCMORRAN, OF SAME PLACE.

POWDER-DISTRIBUTER SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 651,926, dated. June 19, 1900.

I V Application filed November 30, 1898. Serial NoJGQVySBB. (No model.)

To all whom it may conceive.-

Be it known that I, HUGH MAOMICHAEL, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Ohioago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi-r The invention consists in the various novel features of construction hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a powder-distributer embodying.

my invention. Fig. 2, is a central vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section,takenon line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. dis a vertical transverse section taken at line 4 4. of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view upon an enlarged scale, being a longitudinal section of a portion of thehopper, its bottom, and the agitator. Fig. 6 isj a centraltransverse vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the packing for the agitator-shaft. Fig. Sis a detail view of one of the plates securedtothe side of the hopper for retaining the packing around the shaft-opening.

A denotes a suitable fan-casing containing a fan B, mounted upon a shaft B, whereby the fan is rotated. Fan B comprises radial arms band wings 1). Horizontal bars 0 are rigidly secured to the side walls of the fancasing A and are provided with hearings to receive the reduced ends I)? of fan-shaft B and secure such shaft against end play. Tangentially, from the bottom of the fan-casing A leads a wind-trunk D, which is slightly ta pered to form a nozzle d at its outer terminal and to more efficiently directthe blast.

A hopper E, designed to contain a quantity of the material to be applied, is mounted above wind-trunk-D, wherewith it is connected by a spout E, which is somewhat elongated to permit falling material to disperse. The top of hopper E is provided with an opening' e, through which the material is introduced, and said opening is closed by a removable screw-cap e to prevent the material from being blown out by back currents of air from the wind-trunk. A curved bottom F, formed of a rectangular strip of flexible'sheet metal, has its straight ends secured to the end walls of the hopper, as at f and f, and is provided with perforations f in suitable number through which the material descends from hopper E into spout E and wind-trunk D, whence it is expelled by the blast. Hopper E at that portion thereof where the bottom is secured is preferably of rectangular shape, as shown.

Supporting -bars 0, which are rigidly secured to fan-casing A and on each side thereof, are extended to points alongside of the hopper adjacent the hopper bottom and are provided thereat with bearings to receive the reduced ends 9 of an 'agitatorshaft G, which is arranged transversely to the hopper and extended therethrough. Reduced ends g, resting in' said supporting-bars, secure the shaft G against end play. Said shaft passes freely through openings e in the sides of the hopper. Within the hopper shaft G has rigidly secured thereto a series (preferably four) of arms or loops formed of heavy wire. Said arms, comprise radial sides g and the transverse connecting portions or strips g prevent the material in hopperE from working out through shaft-openings 6 a sheet of packing H, preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 7 and having an opening h, which fits snugly around shaft G, is secured to the hop-- per adjacent each opening e by plate I. The edges '5 of said plate are bent inwardly and soldered or otherwise secured to the hopper sides, and thus securely holdpacking H against rotation with shaft G and against the sides of the hopper.

Fan-shaft B projects'through one of the supporting-bars C and has secured thereto a small groovedbelt-pulley B Agitator-shaft G projects in like manner and has secured thereto a large belt pulley G A crossed belt J serves to impart revolution to pulley B and fan-shaft B when pulley G2 is operated. A handle G dsconveniently attached to pulley G The casing and hopper are constructed, essentially, of sheet metal. An apparatus constructed' of heavy parts is objectionable. Supporting-bars O suffice to sustain all the revoluble parts of the apparatus. Therefore it is possible to construct the casing and hopper of thin sheet metal, and the necessity of using heavy braces to prevent the disalinement of the driven shafts and pulleys is avoided. Straps or loops'commonly usedfor securing the apparatus to the body of the operato r are unnecessary, because the apparatus is light and can be conveniently held by the supporting;bars.' V V The agitator-arms disintegrate and stir the material within the hopper and cause the material to be supplied through perforated bottom F tospout E in a uniform, constant, and finely divided stream. The agitatorarms are made of varying widths to better stir the material within the spout. Much difliculty has been experienced in the use ofjperforated plates or bottoms through which the material was fed, and particularly when small perforations Were employed,because the material'would' become lodgedin the small perforations and adhere to the bottom, and thus preventthe further supply of material to the spout. Such difllculty has been entirely overcome bythe peculiar arrangement of agitator and perforated bottom of the present inven-, tion, The curved bottom is free at its sides,

and itscentral portion is arranged to project slightlyzand normally. into the path of the agitator-arms. As the agitator is revolved the transverse strips g not only scrape or sweep. but also distend the flexible bottom, a's shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and cause itsrapidvibr-ation. Such distension-and vibration loosen and dislodge any material tending to adhereto the bottom or the per-.

forations therein. Such arrangement permitsithe use ofsmall perforations, and, moreover, the material neednot becarefully pul verized before it is introduced into the hopper. This feature is decidedly advantageous and constitutes an important feature of this,

invention; 7 V

In operation'the turning of. handle G causes the fan to revolve and concurrentlyoperates the. agitator,stirring up the material in the hopper and causing itto fall in a constant, u'niform, a nd finely-divided stream through thespout. and into the wind-trunk, where it is-expelled through the nozzle and sprayed and distributed over the plants.

' The details of the construction may be vacasing and the wind-trunk leading therefrom, of a hopper above said windf-t'nunk and lead ing thereto, a shaft extended transversely through the said hopper, an agitator actuated thereby, supporting arms secured to each side of the fan-casing and projected alongside of said hopper andindependent thereof and'having bearings forthe fan-shaft and said agitator-shaft therein and suitable mechanism for concurrentlydriving said fan-shaft and said agitator shaft.

2. In a 'powder-distributer the combination with a blast-fan and its casing and the windtrunk leading therefrom, of a hopper above ;saidwind-trunk andleading thereto, a flexible perforated rectangular curved bottom plate within said hopper,.having itsendssm cured to the hopper sides-audits curvedEsidesfree to permitth'e vibration of said bottom plate, an agitator arm orarms rigidly secured toa transverse. shaft andarrangedto distend said bottom plate and driving mechanism plate within saidlhoppenhavingits endsse curedto the hopper sides and its .curve'dsides free to permit the vibration of; said bottom plate, supporting-bars securedto eachfside of the fan-casingand projected alongsideof said hopper and independent thereof,a fan-shaft and'an agitator-shaft journaled in said supporting-bars, said agitator-shaftbeing. extended transversely through. said" hopper,-

' armssecured to said agitator-shaft, arranged to distendthe saidbottom plate and suitable mechanism for concurrently drivingsaid fanshaft andsaid agitator-shaft. V.

4. In a powder-distributorthecombination with the blast-fan and'its casing and the wind trunk leading therefrom, of ahopper above said wind-trunk andleading thereto, ashaft extended transversely through. saidhopper,

an agitator armor'arms car-ried thereby, supporting-bars secured to each side ofthefancasing and-projected alongside of" said hopper and independent thereof, the-said bars having bearings for thefan-shaft and said agitator-shaft therein, plates securedat each side of said hopper through which sa-idiagitator-shaft passes, packing between. said plates and'the side Walls of said hopper,.a flexible perforated rectangular curved bottomplatewithin saidhopper, having its ends secured to thehopper sides auditscurvedsidesfree to permit the vibration of said bottom plate,

an agitator arm or arms rigidly secured to ried without departing from the spirit of the invention. I j

Havingthusdescribed my invention, ,what

Iclaim as new,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is+

The combination of a blast-fan and its said agitator-shaft, and driving mechanism whereby said fan and saidagitator-shaft are concurrently driven.

5. The combination-of the blast-fanand its casing, and thewind trunk leading therefrom, of a hopper above said wind-trunk, and

leading thereto, ashaft extended transversely tween said plates and the side walls of said through said hopper, an agitator actuated hopper and suitable mechanism for concurto thereby, supporting-bars secured to each side rently driving said fan-shaft and said agitaof the fan-casing and projected alongside of tor-shaft.

5 said hopper, and having bearings for the fan- HUGH MAOMIOHAEL.

shaft and said agitator-shaft therein, plates WVitnesses: secured at each side of said hopper through FRED GERLAGH, which said agitator-shaft passes, packing be- EDW. E. MCMORRAN. 

